# sadiahcurates

> Sadiah Boonstra | Curator • Historian 


## Posts

- [Beyond Unsettled Pasts](https://sadiahcurates.com/curator/beyond-unsettled-pasts/): 3 July – 1 November 2025 Erasmus HuisJl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. S-3Jakarta Selatan Presented byErasmus Huis Curated bySadiah Boonstra & Sukiato Khurniawan Participating ArtistsArahmaiani, Budi Agung Kuswara, Dita Gambiro, Eldwin Pradipta, Elia Nurvista, Maharani Mancanagara The contemporary art exhibition Beyond Unsettled Pasts brings together six Indonesian visual artists to critically reflect on how Dutch colonial legacies continue to shape society, space, and identity in present-day Indonesia. The exhibition also imagines paths toward decolonial futures rooted in care, resistance, and change. Presented by Erasmus Huis and curated by CultureLab, Beyond Unsettled Pasts opens on July 3, 2025, and runs until
- [The Hidden Treasures of Sudjana Kerton](https://sadiahcurates.com/curator/the-hidden-treasures-of-sudjana-kerton/): 12 – 29 June 2025 Art1: New MuseumJl. Rajawali Selatan Raya No.3Jakarta 10720 A solo exhibition by Sudjana Kerton Curated by Dr. Sadiah Boonstra Curated by Dr. Sadiah Boonstra, the exhibition traces Kerton’s wide-ranging artistic journey: from his early revolutionary sketches during Indonesia’s fight for independence, to the vibrant, imaginative paintings of his later years. Kerton’s practice straddled art and activism, documentation and reflection. His works capture historical moments, the daily lives of ordinary people, and the shifting identities of a postcolonial nation. This exhibition not only reintroduces Kerton as a painter and visual historian, but also questions why his
- [Looking Behind Nias Faces: The Face of Ono Niha](https://sadiahcurates.com/curator/looking-behind-nias-faces-the-face-of-ono-niha/): Opens from 20 November 2024 Museum Pusaka NiasJl. Yos Sudarso No. 134-AGunungsitoli, Sumatera Utara Looking Behind Nias Faces: The Face of Ono Niha is a research-based exhibition that critically engages with Dutch colonial representations of Nias and its people, the Ono Niha. Through a decolonial lens, the exhibition examines how visual, spatial, and scientific practices, such as ethnographic mapping, village restructuring, photography, and physical anthropology, were used to exert control and construct racial hierarchies during colonial rule. Key figures like colonial officer Engelbertus Schröder and anthropologist J.P. Kleiweg de Zwaan played central roles in producing these knowledge systems, which continue
- [Rumpang. Rimpang. Rampung: Towards Shifting Perspectives](https://sadiahcurates.com/curator/rumpang-rimpang-rampung-towards-shifting-perspectives/): 17 August – 30 September 2024 Contemporary Art GalleryTaman Mini Indonesia IndahJakarta Timur Curated byDr. Sadiah Boonstra Participating ArtistsAlfiah Rahdini, Arahmaniani, Betty Adii, Eko Nugroho, Hana Madness, Ika Vantiani, Jatiwangi art Factory, Jogja Disability Arts, Joko Kisworo, Nidiya Kusmaya, Revi Maudy Vekelita, Tab Space, Wantja Featuring the incredible work of 13 contemporary Indonesian artists, this exciting exhibition draws inspiration from Arahmaiani’s understanding of art as “a liberating force that should encourage a new awareness of humanity and a new social consciousness” (Manifesto of a Sceptic, 2009). Believing that art plays a crucial role in sparking important conversations about social and
- [Jalur Rempah: Rumah Rempah Dunia](https://sadiahcurates.com/curator/jalur-rempah-rumah-rempah-dunia/): 9 – 31 Desember 2023 Museum Kebangkitan NasionalJl. Abdul Rahman Saleh No. 26Jakarta Pusat This exhibition transports visitors through the origins and evolution of the global Spice Route. Exploring Indonesia’s role and relationship in the complexity of the international Spice Route, the intricate and diverse history of this network unveils a wealth of social and cultural heritage, showcased through various artifacts, stories, and memories. Featuring both tangible and intangible heritage, the exhibit presents cutting-edge research alongside engaging narratives and interactive storytelling Jalur Rempah is a collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia
- [Jalan Nusantara](https://sadiahcurates.com/curator/jalan-nusantara-unesco/): Open from 13 November 2023 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters7 Pl. de Fontenoy-Unesco, 75007Paris, France Archipelago Street or Jalan Nusantara is a special area at UNESCO Headquarters turned into an exhibition space which displays 11 art objects donated by the Indonesian Government to UNESCO. The 11 cultural objects are a replica of an ancient human skull, a model of Borobudur, a model of Prambanan, a relief of Samudra Raksa, a painting of the death of Kumbakarna by Nyoman Mandra, a Garuda Wisnu Kencana by Nyoman Nuarta, a Borobudur silver souvenir, a statue of a flute player,
- [The Great Indonesia](https://sadiahcurates.com/curator/the-great-indonesia/): 21 October 2023 – 1 April 2024 De Nieuwe KerkDe Dam, 1012 NPAmsterdam, Netherlands CultureLab was invited to select contemporary art and fashion for The Great Indonesia exhibition (De Grote Indonesië tentoonstelling) at De Nieuwe Kerk, one of Amsterdam’s oldest, most impressive, and popular historical landmarks and exhibition venues in the Netherlands. The exhibition runs from October 21, 2023 – April 1, 2024. Participating artists and fashion designers for the exhibition are Alfiah Rahdini (b.1990), Ari Bayuaji (b.1975), Asha Darra (b. 1977), Auguste Soesastro (b.1981), Citra Sasmita (b.1990), Edward Hutabarat (b.1958), FX Harsono (b.1949), Heri Dono (b.1960), Mangmoel (b.1984), Mella

## Pages

- [Portfolio](https://sadiahcurates.com/portfolio/)
- [Historian](https://sadiahcurates.com/historian/): Work in Progress Boonstra, Sadiah. 2024. ‘Beyond the Point of No Return: the Re-emergence of Indonesian Debates and Concept of the Return of Colonial Objects’ in Boonstra, Sadiah, Kate McGregor, Ken Setiawan and Abdul Wahid (Eds.). 2023. RethinkingHistories of Colonialism: Indonesia. Boonstra, Sadiah, Kate McGregor, Ken Setiawan and Abdul Wahid (Eds.). 2024. Rethinking Histories of Colonialism: Indonesia. ​ 2024 Boonstra, Sadiah. 2024. “Beyond decolonisation?” in Inside Indonesia 155, Jan-Mar. ​ 2023 Boonstra, Sadiah. “Networks of Gesture: Producing New Inter-Indonesian Dance for the International Stage” in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies special issue edited by Emily Wilcox, Soo Ryon Yoon. Boonstra, Sadiah and
- [Home](https://sadiahcurates.com/): Latest Work About Dr. Sadiah Boonstra, trained as a Curator and Historian, formerly served as the Specialist for International Collaboration, Curatorial Affairs and Collection Management at the Indonesian Heritage Agency. With over two decades of experience, she has worked at institutions such as National Gallery Singapore, The British Museum (London), Tropenmuseum (Amsterdam), and the National Prison Museum (Netherlands). Demonstrating her expertise role in the cultural history, heritage, and the performing and visual arts of colonial and contemporary Indonesia, Dr Boonstra is Postdoctoral Researcher at VU University (Amsterdam) and Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne. In 2020, recognizing the


[comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)